The government of Argentina has officially protested to Britain over a vandal
attack on the country’s war cemetery in the Falkland Islands.

Image 1 of 2

The Virgin Mary sits behind shattered glass in a cemetery that holds the remains of Argentine combatants killed during the 1982 war between Argentina and Britain near Darwin on the Falkland IslandsPhoto: AP

In a letter to the British government on Wednesday night, the foreign ministry said it “repudiated the desecration” of the monument to Argentine soldiers who fell during the Falklands War and demanded an “immediate clarification” of what happened.

The cemetery, which is the resting place of 237 Argentine combatants, was found vandalised on Monday.

The glass casing protecting a figure of Argentina’s patron saint, the Virgin of Luján, was smashed.

The government has also presented its protest to the International Red Cross and the United Nations.

It has called for an “impartial investigation that identifies and punishes those responsible for a grave act that violates the sacredness of the cemetery”.

Related Articles

César Trejo, head of the commission of families of combatants who died in the conflict, told the Daily Telegraph that the glass is being checked for fingerprints.

“At first we thought the damage was caused by bullets, but we now believe the perpetrator used an axe,” he said.

Police in the Falklands are investigating and the islands’ government has called for anyone with information to come forward.

Argentine war veterans yesterday denounced the violence as a “breach of humanity”.

In its letter, the foreign ministry also insisted: “Deplorable actions such as these can be avoided through dialogue”.

Cristina Kirchner, the Argentine president, repeatedly called on Britain to discuss sovereignty of the disputed archipelago as tensions rose in the build-up to the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War in April.

The walled cemetery, located in East Falkland, names the 649 Argentine soldiers who died in the 74-day conflict.

Mrs Kirchner has also requested the Red Cross work with British authorities in order to identify 123 soldiers buried there with anonymous plaques.